Tag: business

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Data Lineage in a Data-Driven World

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Data Lineage

It won’t be an exaggeration to say that the success of today's business is driven by the data. Whether it be a small enterprise or a big business house, everyone has understood that data can give them an edge in this competitive world. This realization of the importance of data is leading them towards implementing better data governance in their business. Data lineage is an important function of data governance that tracks the journey of data from its origin to its final destinations via various hops. 

Importance of Data Lineage

The necessity for data lineage in businesses arises due to various factors and different reasons that may apply to different enterprises.

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Incident Management: Checklist, Tools, and Prevention

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What Is Incident Management?

Incident management is the process of identifying, responding, resolving, and learning from incidents that disrupt the normal operation of a service or system. An incident can be anything from a server outage, a security breach, a performance degradation, or a customer complaint. Incident management aims to restore the service as quickly as possible, minimize the impact on users and the business, and prevent the recurrence of similar incidents.

Incident Management Checklist

Incident management can be a complex and stressful process, especially when dealing with high-severity incidents that affect a large number of users or have a significant business impact. To help you navigate the incident management process, here is a checklist of the main steps and best practices to follow:

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Is digital marketing effective for your business?

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  • Digital marketing uses electronic devices and the internet for marketing efforts.
  • It includes channels like search engines, social media, email, and websites.
  • Businesses use digital marketing to connect with current and potential customers.
  • Strategies include creating and sharing valuable content, advertising, and engaging with audiences.
  • The goal is to increase brand awareness, drive traffic, and generate leads or sales.
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Deduplication and Data Stewardship Process in MDM

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Data Deduplication in MDM

In master data management, often the same data is duplicated across several departments, which can harm the business. That’s why data deduplication is necessary to maintain an accurate master data record. It includes the removal of duplicate data from the business database. Moreover, master data needs to be a single source of truth for the whole enterprise to maintain its consistency and efficacy. 

Data Duplication Strategies

Data deduplication has many advantages, such as improved cost savings. It helps improve analytics performance by providing the team with the most reliable data. It also helps the company provide a better customer experience.

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How Spark Writer Can Help Improve Your Web Design Business

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If you are running a web design business, your portfolio website is one of your most important tools to attract new clients. In order to actually generate leads through your website, you have to get people there, and that means you need to continually generate new content along with having it optimized for search engines. If you’re a freelancer or small business, that means you are not only a web designer or developer, but you also have to wear the hat of the content creator. How are you supposed to find enough hours in the day?

This is where Spark Writer comes in. Spark Writer is a GPT-3 writing tool that allows you to create texts such as articles, blogs, ads, and even SEO meta descriptions in an instant. In this post we are going to take a look at how Spark Writer can make your life easier and help you grow your web design business.

Spark Writer for your web design business

What Is Spark Writer?

Spark Writer is a creative tool that helps you write better, faster and more easily. It provides you with a range of templates, tips and resources that makes writing easier and more fun.

The previous paragraph was actually written by Spark Writer in a matter of seconds using the paragraph tool. That summarizes it pretty succinctly, but there is much more to this AI writing tool. There are a variety of ways to use it for your web design business blog, including generating titles and ideas, introductions, outlines, conclusions, listicles, and more – all the way to even a full article generator.

So you can see how this tool could save you a significant amount of time when creating content. Let’s take a look at several ways in more detail.

Create Catchy Titles

With the Article Title / Idea Tool, you can take your blog topic idea and generate several catchy titles easily. For example, we put the title of this post in and Spark Writer popped out the following:

  1. How to take your web design business to the next level with Spark Writer
  2. How Spark Writer can help you stand out from the competition
  3. Create better content and improve your web design business with Spark Writer
  4. The secret to success: How Spark Writer can help improve your web design business
  5. How to improve your web design business with Spark Writer

In literally seconds we have five alternate titles we could use instead of what we started with! Coming up with ideas or refined, catchy titles no longer has to consume your time when writing new content for your blog.

Write Article Outlines

Many blog posts and articles start with an outline in order to better organize your thoughts and map out the sections and main points. With the Article Outline Tool you can type in what your article is about and in seconds have an outline of it right in front of you. If you prefer to do the actual writing of the article yourself, this would be a great way to get started and save you tons of time along the way.

Generate Listicles

One of the most popular types of blog posts is listicles, offering, for instance, “10 top web design tools of the year” or any other idea you can come up with. Spark Writer’s Listicle Tool can generate these for you in seconds.

Take a look at what we got when we typed in “Top Web Design Tools of 2022”:

  1. Adobe XD
  2. Figma
  3. Sketch
  4. Invision Studio
  5. Protopie
  6. Adobe Photoshop
  7. Adobe Illustrator
  8. Adobe After Effects
  9. Cinema 4D
  10. Blender

Just like that, the research has been done for us instantly. Then we could take this list, fill it in with descriptions of each tool, add an introduction and conclusion, and presto! Another way to come up with a quick blog post for your web design business!

Write Full Articles

If you’re really in a hurry, you can elect to use the Full Article Generator from Spark Writer to generate a complete, unique, and SEO friendly article in 30 seconds or less. While this may not be the best way to make sure your blog has your own unique “voice” in its writing, it can definitely save you hours per post. You could also take what the tool produces and edit it to your liking to make it more your own, which would still be a great way to reduce the amount of time you spend creating blog content.

Spark Writer options that will help your web design business

How Will You Use Spark Writer To Grow Your Web Design Business?

Although we’ve touched on just a few ways this new tool can be used to greatly increase your efficiency as a content creator, there are many more options to look into beyond what we’ve described here. Best of all, Spark Writer is 100% free to use, so you can take it for a spin right away!

It’s a brave new AI-generated content world we’re stepping into. We recommend you give Spark Writer a try and see how it can be used to help you save time, inspire creativity, and grow your business.

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Data Quality Monitoring — You’re Doing It Wrong

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Occasionally, we’ll talk with data teams interested in applying data quality monitoring narrowly across only a specific set of key tables. 

The argument goes something like: “You may have hundreds or thousands of tables in your environment, but most of your business value derives from only a few that really matter. That’s where you really want to focus your efforts.”

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Web Design Trends for Business Websites in 2022

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Are you looking toward updating or upgrading your business website in the new year? Then it’s a great idea to dig into the latest and upcoming trends in web design, not necessarily so you can simply follow the trends, but also so you can see what else is out there as well as draw inspiration and come up with the best decisions for your own business website. In this article, we’ve gathered some of the most relevant web design trends for business websites coming in 2022, along with some examples, including some from the premiere business website design service IONOS.

Vibrant Color Schemes

In the past, business websites tended to skew towards using muted blues and greens, but more recently the trend has been to utilize bright, vibrant colors from across the rainbow. Bright colors grab the visitors’ interest immediately upon arrival, and they can communicate the company culture and make it stand out. Creativity through color will give a business a leg up on the competition.

Web Design Trends for Business Websites in 2022

Web Design Trends for Business Websites in 2022

Large Typographic Hero Images

While not necessarily new in web design, corporate websites are new to this trend. Full screen hero images with large-scale typography is another way to grab the user’s attention and immediately give them an overview of the business with a catchy tag line, a call to action, or anything else needed to get them to investigate further.

Web Design Trends for Business Websites in 2022

Web Design Trends for Business Websites in 2022

Web Design Trends for Business Websites in 2022

Button Gradients

Adding gradients to buttons can increase conversions because they can potentially stand out more significantly than single-color buttons. Paired with a vibrant color scheme, as mentioned above, while utilizing colors that contrast with and stand out from the rest of the site’s colors, gradient buttons can draw the user’s eye to the CTA. Again, this trend is not necessarily new, but it is one that business websites are just recently beginning to adapt.

Button Gradients

Button Gradients

Oversized Fonts

Similar to large typography in a hero image, using oversized fonts for headings throughout the rest of the pages is a trend that can direct and guide the user’s attention while making it simpler to communicate the more important messages. In this age of attention deficits, where people tend to read less and skim more, oversized fonts can capture the user long enough for them to read what may otherwise be skipped past.

Oversized Fonts

Oversized Fonts

Oversized Fonts

Accessibility

Website accessibility for the disabled is all the rage these days, and corporate websites are no different. While any solid business website should already be making sure their website is accessible, those that aren’t will be moving in that direction in 2022. The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) were created to provide the standard for what is considered accessible and compliant. These guidelines can also inform larger design decisions as well.

Micro-interactions

Micro-interactions are things that happen when a user performs an action, like clicking a button. The button may animate when clicked, for instance. Think about what happens when you click to like a post on social media. The human tendency to expect feedback through a micro-interaction has been fueled by their constant use in mobile apps and now websites. Business websites can improve their user experience by employing micro-interactions that help the site visitor feel comfortable once they use them.

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What are SEO Services?

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SEO services that are being used by different companies to boost up their presence and to increase their traffic organically, SEO services play an important role in the business in which the goal is to increase the traffic of the website by organic means.

Some search engine optimization services that should be tailored to the users business needs:

  1. Gola Defination
  2. Technical Site Audit
  3. Keyword Strategy
  4. Content Strategy
  5. On-page optimization
  6. Off-page optimization
  7. Reporting
  8. Website support
  9. Competitors Analysis
  10. Content Analysis
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What’s the Difference Between Landing page vs Website?

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Do you want to learn the difference between landing page vs website?

Many small businesses wonder whether they should make a landing page or a full-fledged website to showcase their online presence.

In this article, we’ll show you the difference between landing page vs website and which one you should make for your business.

Landing page vs website - what is the difference

What is a Landing Page?

A landing page is a stand-alone web page designed for a specific purpose and goal. It is a highly versatile tool that can be used in marketing, advertising, and lead generation campaigns.

It can also be used as a coming soon website for a business, a single-page website on its own, a product sales page, and more.

Landing page example

Landing pages are specifically designed for higher conversions. They have unique design characteristics that make it easier for users to perform the desired action.

This action could be signing up for an email list, purchasing a product, filling out a form, and more. These actions are referred to as ‘Call to action’.

Overall, the goal of landing pages is to minimize distractions that could take users away, and provide them with all the information they need to take action.

A landing page could also be a stand-alone website on its own with different sections all leading to one clear call to action.

A landing page website

What is a Website?

A website is a collection of different landing pages and sections to help your users find what they’re looking for.

For instance, a typical business website can have an about section, a separate blog page, a contact us page, products and services pages, and more.

There are many different types of websites and they can all have different pages for different features.

How a Website Differs from a Landing Page?

Unlike a landing page, a website can have multiple pages of information with different goals and purposes.

Not each page on a website is as highly focused on conversions as a landing page.

For instance, a business website may want users to get information about all the products and services they are offering. It may also give users multiple calls to action to choose from (e.g. make a purchase, ask for quote, join email list, follow on social media, and more).

Different types of websites would have different goals and a website gives them more ways to engage the audience.

A website could also be supported by multiple landing pages for their marketing campaigns.

For instance, a membership website may utilize a landing page for a subscription plan or an eCommerce store may want to create a pre-launch landing page for an upcoming product.

Landing page vs Website – Which One to Choose?

Many beginners struggle to decide between landing page vs website and which one to choose?

The answer lies in your own requirements and what you want to achieve for your business.

If you want to quickly launch a product, create an online presence for your business, capture potential leads and customers, then a landing page would be an easy way to go.

Example of a quick landing page

On the other hand, if you want to create a multi-page online presence for your business, use an eCommerce cart, sell online courses, start a blog, and more, then you will be better off with a website.

WPForms Website example

Remember you can always choose to create a landing page as a single-page website. You can also convert your landing page to a full-fledged website as your business grows.

Similarly, you can also create a complete website with multiple pages and still add landing pages for specific campaigns.

What Do I Need to Make a Landing Page vs Website?

You’ll need a domain and a web hosting account to create a landing page or a website.

A domain name is the location of your website or landing page (e.g. wpbeginner.com). This is what your users will type in their browsers to view your landing page or website.

The web hosting account is where your landing page or website files will be stored.

Normally, a domain costs around $16 per year, and hosting plans start at $7.88 per month (usually paid annually). Now this is a significant amount if you are just starting out.

Luckily, our friends at Bluehost has agreed to offer a free domain name and a generous discount on hosting for WPBeginner users.

Basically, you can get started for just $2.75 per month.

→ Click Here to Claim This Exclusive Bluehost Offer ←

Bluehost is one of the biggest hosting companies in the world and an officially recommended WordPress hosting provider.

Once you have signed up for a hosting account, Bluehost will automatically install WordPress for you.

WordPres is the world’s best website builder and makes it super easy to create a website or make landing pages. Simply log in to your hosting account and then login to your WordPress account dashboard.

Log in to WordPress

How to Make a Landing Page for My Business

The easiest way to make a landing page is by using SeedProd. It is the best landing page builder on the market and allows you to easily create landing pages using a drag and drop interface and without writing any code.

First, you need to install and activate the SeedProd plugin. For more details, see our step by step guide on how to install a WordPress plugin.

Note: There is also a free version of SeedProd available that you can use to give it a try. However, you’ll need to upgrade to unlock all features and templates available in the premium version.

Upon activation, you need to enter your SeedProd license key. You can find this information under your account on the SeedProd website.

SeedProd license key

You can now start building your first landing page.

Simply head over to SeedProd » Pages page and click on the ‘Create new landing page’ button.

Creating a new landing page

Next, you will be asked to choose a template page as a starting point for your landing page. SeedProd comes with dozens of beautiful templates that you can completely modify or you can even start with a blank template.

Choose a landing page template

This will bring up a popup asking you to provide a name for your landing page. Enter a name for your page and then click on the ‘Save and Start Editing the Page’ button.

Name your landing page

SeedProd will now load the page builder interface with a live preview of your chosen template.

SeedProd page builder interface

You can simply point and click on any item in the live preview to edit it. You can also add new blocks from the left column to your page.

SeedProd comes with all commonly used elements as blocks. Each block has its own settings that you can adjust using a simple user interface.

It also includes blocks for WooCommerce and integrations for all popular email marketing services under the ‘Connect’ tab.

Integrations

Once you are satisfied with your landing page, you can click to save or publish your page to make it live.

Publish landing page

Publishing Landing Page as Homepage for Your Domain

Now if you want to only display your landing page when someone enters your domain name, then you’ll need to set it up as your homepage in WordPress.

Simply go to Settings » Reading page. From here you need to select ‘A static page’ under ‘Your homepage displays’ option.

Set homepage

After that, go ahead and select the landing page you created earlier as your ‘Homepage’. Don’t forget to click on the Save changes button to update your settings.

Creating Landing Pages for Other Domain Names?

What if you wanted to create landing pages for other domain names? This comes in handy if you have multiple domains to cover different markets and regions.

SeedProd comes with built-in domain mapping support. This allows you to easily create a landing page in SeedProd and map it to any other domain name.

Set custom domain name

For more details, see our tutorial on how to easily add a custom domain for your landing page in WordPress.

How to Make a Complete Website for My Business

WordPress is the most powerful website builder used by millions of business websites, eCommerce stores, blogs, news and media sites.

Since you have already installed WordPress on your Bluehost account, you can simply login to your account dashboard and start working on your website.

First, you want to add new pages by visiting Pages » All Pages page and clicking on the Add New button.

Adding new pages in WordPress

WordPress comes with a powerful editor that allows you to easily add design and content elements to your pages as blocks. To learn more, see our tutorial on how to use WordPress editor.

Tip: Need ideas for pages? See our list of the most important pages to create for a new WordPress website for some excellent ideas.

Next, you would want to choose a design for your website. WordPress comes with thousands of free and paid themes for all sorts of websites.

Bonus Tip: Need help choosing a theme, see our expert pick of the most popular WordPress themes or take a look at these great themes for business websites.

Once you have found a theme you want to use, you can go to Appearance » Themes page and click on the Add New button to install it.

Install WordPress theme

See our tutorial on how to install a WordPress theme for detailed instructions.

The real power of WordPress comes from its plugins. These are like apps for your WordPress websites that you can install to extend its features. Start by checking out our pick of the essential WordPress plugins.

Need more help with your new website? See our detailed tutorial on how to make a website with step by step instructions.

We hope this article helped you learn the difference between landing page vs website. You may also want to see our guide on how to promote your business on a budget and our tips on quickly getting more traffic to your website.

If you liked this article, then please subscribe to our YouTube Channel for WordPress video tutorials. You can also find us on Twitter and Facebook.

The post What’s the Difference Between Landing page vs Website? appeared first on WPBeginner.

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What benefits SEO offers to any business?

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#1. SEO RESULTS TO HIGHER CONVERSION RATE
Search engine optimization can significantly increase the conversion rate of your site. Once your business becomes more popular long enough, your target market will realize the quality of the work you do. This initiative will aid you in establishing and maintaining your authority in your field.
#2. IT ENHANCES BRAND AWARENESS
Besides converting users into customers, improving your rankings also increases brand awareness. Even if you only reach the top and then climb your way up to the top of SERPs, you'll generate in-numerable touchpoints. Despite not clicking into your website, potential customers will associate your brand with the solutions you offer by simply being there.
#3. IT IS POSSIBLE TO DO SEO ON A BUDGET
Unlike other marketing strategies such as pay-per-click, SEO does not cost you any money other than your time if you manage it yourself. Search engines crawl A website 24/7, which promotes your crucial content and provides new customers organically. Invest some time reviewing the content on top-ranking sites in your niche, and aim to write better content than theirs. Once you've created content, post the information on your social networks.

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How to Verify Your WordPress Site on Pinterest (Step by Step)

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Are you looking for a simple way to verify your WordPress site on Pinterest?

Verifying your website on Pinterest will unlock neat features like Pinterest analytics, ads program, stats for your photos, and more.

In this article, we will show you how to easily verify your WordPress site on Pinterest.

How to Verify Your WordPress Website on Pinterest

Why You Should Verify Your WordPress Site on Pinterest?

Pinterest is one of the most popular social media platforms to share your photos, videos, and other visual content. It allows you to create an account and manage your images like Instagram or Flickr.

It also allows other users to collect website links, and other visual content by creating boards.

If you are running a photography website or any other type of blog with images and videos, then Pinterest can be an important source of traffic.

Verifying your website on Pinterest will help you learn more about your visitors using Pinterest Analytics. You will also be able to participate in their ad program and plan a strategy to grow your Pinterest traffic.

That being said, let’s take a look at how to easily verify your WordPress blog on Pinterest.

How to Verify Your WordPress Site on Pinterest

Before we start, you’ll need to upgrade your Pinterest profile to a business account. This will allow you to use all their Pro tools like analytics, ads program, and more. The Pinterest business account is free and easy to set up.

Ready, let’s get started.

Step 1. Upgrade Your Pinterest Account to Business

First, you need to log into your Pinterest account and click on the down arrow at the top right corner of your screen. Next, click on the ‘Unlock business tools’ option.

Click the Unlock business tools option

On the next screen, you will see a list of features the business account will offer. To use these features, click the ‘Switch to business’ button.

Select the Switch to business button

After that, enter your business account details like a profile name, website URL, country, and language. Once you have entered all these details, click the ‘Next’ button.

Build your profile

Pinterest will now ask you to describe your business. You can select an industry from the drop-down menu and pick 3 goals from the given options. After that, click the ‘Next’ button.

Describe your business

Now select an option to get customized recommendations and click the ‘Next’ button.

Get customized recommendations

On the next screen, you can select an option if you are interested in advertising on Pinterest and then click the ‘Next’ button. For the sake of this tutorial, we selected the ‘No, I am not planning to advertise’ option.

Planning to run Pinterest ads

Next, Pinterest will show you different options to get started with your business account. You can click the ‘cross’ icon in the top right corner to skip this part.

Where would you like to start

Step 2. Claim Your Website on Pinterest

The next step is to claim your website on Pinterest.

To do that, you can click on the ‘Claim domain’ button from your Pinterest Business hub page, and it will directly take you to the claim settings page.

Claim domain in Pinterest

Another way to claim your website is by clicking on the down arrow in the top right corner and selecting the ‘Settings’ option. Then head over to the ‘Claim’ section in the left menu.

To get the credit for your content on Pinterest, click the ‘Claim’ button for Websites.

Click websites claim

Once you click the button, a popup window will appear with three options to claim your WordPress website.

Choose how you want to claim

We are choosing the ‘Add HTML tag’ option because it is the easiest.

However, if you prefer, you can choose the other option where you download the HTML file and upload it to your website’s root directory using an FTP client or your WordPress hosting file manager.

Alternatively, you can also add a verification record to your domain settings using your domain registrar.

Step 3. Add HTML Tag to Your WordPress Website

There are multiple ways to add an HTML tag to your website’s header, but we will only cover the two easiest methods.

First, you can use the All in One SEO (AIOSEO) WordPress plugin and enter the HTML tag to your website. For more details, follow our guide on how to install a WordPress plugin.

AIOSEO is the best SEO plugin for WordPress and makes it very easy to optimize your site for search engines without hiring an expert.

While we recommend the Pro version, you can also use the free version of AIOSEO to add Pinterest verification.

To add the HTML tag, go to All in One SEO » General Settings and then click the ‘Webmaster Tools’ tab from the top menu.

After that, click the ‘Pinterest Site Verification’ block.

AIOSEO Webmaster Tools

Now enter the HTML tag you copied in the previous step in the Pinterest Site Verification field and click the ‘Save Changes’ button.

Enter Pinterest Verification Code

Aside from using AIOSEO, another way of adding the HMTL tag is by installing and activating Insert Headers and Footers plugin.

Upon activation, you need to visit Settings » Insert Headers and Footers page in your WordPress admin area. In the Scrips in Header section, you need to paste the HTML tag and click on the Save button.

Insert HTML tag in header script section

Once the HTML tag is added in your website’s header section, you need to go back to the Pinterest screen and click on the Continue button in the popup.

It will now ask you to enter the URL of your website and then click the ‘Verify’ button.

Verify your site in Pinterest

Once you do that, you will see a message saying ‘Verification in progress.’ Normally, the process takes 24 hours, and you get an email about your website’s verification.

Verification in progress

That is it, you have now successfully verified your WordPress website on Pinterest.

Tip: If Pinterest fails to verify after you’ve added the verification code, then it means you need to clear your WordPress cache.

We hope this article helped you learn how to verify your WordPress site on Pinterest. You may also want to see our expert pick of the must-have WordPress plugins for your website, and our comparison of the best business phone services for small business.

If you liked this article, then please subscribe to our YouTube Channel for WordPress video tutorials. You can also find us on Twitter and Facebook.

The post How to Verify Your WordPress Site on Pinterest (Step by Step) appeared first on WPBeginner.

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Introducing…Blog XChange! Contribute Your Knowledge To Our Blog And Get Hero Points Plus Links To Your Site

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Are you looking for great tips, tutorials, and hacks from experienced web developers to take your skills to the next level and help you solve client problems faster? Well, so are we! That’s why we are launching The BLOG XCHANGE!

WPMU DEV Members Blog XChange
Chun-chun-chun-chun…Blog XChange! (Members Only)

tl;dr – The Blog XChange is a new initiative for WPMU DEV members aimed at providing better engagement with our member community by focusing on the content that matters most to you. Help us to help you and we’ll reward you with Hero points and links to your site.

Blog XChange…What The Heck Is That??

Here at WPMU DEV’s secret content lab, we are always searching for new blog content ideas.

You would think that hiring the most brilliant writers in the WordPress universe would result in endless blog content, but alas, this isn’t so.

Which is ironic, I know, given that one of us is the author of a best ok-selling book called “Infinite Content Creation (How to Never Run out of Content Ideas for Your Blog).”

The WPMU DEV blog, however, is a different beast. We don’t publish fluffy filler content about WordPress. We know that our audience (yes, YOU!!) would never stand for it.

We know that you expect us to write articles and tutorials with substance. Beefy content (or tofurkey if you prefer non-meaty adjectives) that you can apply in your business to improve not only your skills but also solve real challenges for your clients and deliver them better and faster websites that will help them get results.

wpmu-dev-blog
Help us make our blog your blog!

Writing blog content targeted to your needs requires us to spend a lot of time researching previous post comments, scouring our members’ forum, analyzing analytics, doing keyword research, peeking into our competitors’ sites, reading through tons of industry newsletters, etc.

Sometimes, we come near, but near just isn’t close enough.

We want to post content on our blog that reflects who you are, what you do, and how you solve everyday challenges in your business working at the coalface and deep in the trenches.

Since we can’t be you (somebody’s gotta write the blog, right?) we came up with an ingenious idea:

“Why not tap into your knowledge and experiences as a WordPress web developer and reward you for all contributions you make to our blog?”

A Fair Trade

When we recently floated the suggestion to create an area where members could exchange their knowledge for hero points and links to their sites, we received overwhelmingly positive feedback and support from our members…“provided it’s a fair trade,” said all of you in unison.

We know you’re busy running a business and that you pay us to serve you, so we don’t expect you to give us something for nothing.

We’re all about fair trading here at the DEV…(you’re probably not even aware of this, but did you know that you can now get hero points just for commenting on our blog posts?)

Hence, Blog XChange (and not Blog XPloitation!)

By sharing your knowledge and experiences on the Blog XChange, you will be helping other members and helping us too! In return, we will reward you for your contributions with loads of hero points and, if we use your content on our blog, with links to help promote your business.

Web Developer.
Don’t let all that great knowledge go to waste…xchange it for hero points and links at the Blog XChange!

In this post, I’ll briefly tell you how it works and how to get started if you’d like to contribute. For full details, including guidelines for posting content and exactly how we will reward you for your contributions, see the pinned post inside the Blog XChange. (Check it out…it’s now live in your Member’s Area!)

Blog XCh-ch-ch-Changes – How It Works In A Nutshell

First off, we’re not looking for Pulitzer-prize-winning authors. You don’t have to submit polished prose or perfectly-presented publish-ready posts…we’ll take care of that.

What we’re looking for is a good ‘chunky’ piece of content that comes from your experience as a WordPress web developer, website builder, digital agency, tech support services provider, etc.

In your own words, tell us about a problem you have solved or a solution, fix, or hack you discovered that improved some Aspect of your or your client’s website or business.

Test and compare different plugins you are currently using against ours and share your results.

If you like, also feel free to share code snippets, screenshots, links to your favorite time-saving tools and resources, etc.

Preferably, it would be ideal if the content you share on the Blog XChange includes using our plugins or services (you’ll get extra points for that!) but it’s not a requirement.

Every contribution you make on the Blog XChange will earn you points. After all, just by posting it, you are helping other members.

Hustle
The Blog XChange can be your little side hustle.

What the blog team will do, is regularly scan the contributions posted on the Blog XChange. We will then reward you for anything we use on the blog. This includes quotable sentences, paragraphs, or sections of text, code snippets, mini-tutorials, video reviews,…even links to great tutorials published on your own sites, or a great headline idea for a new post will earn you a point.

In some cases, we may contact you to discuss publishing a full-blown article, tutorial, or case study. This is exactly what happened when one of our members posted a comment on one of our discussions. We then created a case study and promoted her business throughout the post…so, win-win!

Obviously, there are some things we will not publish, like content designed to promote affiliate links or hyped-up self-promotional stuff…basically we’ll apply the same editorial guidelines and criteria to whatever you submit that we ourselves use to ensure that we maintain our blog to the highest standards.

The Times, They Are A-Blog XChangin’ – How To Get Started

Contributing content to the Blog XChange is super easy. Any WPMU DEV member can do it.

As soon as you get an idea for a post, head on over to the Members section and click on the Blog XChange link (or click here to go there now.)

WPMU DEV Members Blog XChange
Click this button as soon as inspiration hits!

Click ‘Start Discussion’.

WPMU DEV Members Blog XChange - Start Discussion
Almost there…

Enter the title of your post in the ‘Subject’ field (it doesn’t have to be a snazzy title or an SEO-optimized headline…just tell us what it’s about!)

Under ‘Topic’ select ‘Blog XChange’.

Type or paste in your content in the ‘Discussion’ field. Feel free to use the formatting, quotation, and hyperlink tools too!)

If you’d like to keep track of any discussions on your thread, check the ‘Notify me by Email’ box.

Click the Post button to submit your contribution.

Blog XChange - Content submission form.
Type, select, paste in content, check, and click the button and you’re all done…too easy!

Your contribution is now added to the Blog XChange. If you need to make any adjustments to your post, just click on the Edit link.

Example of Blog XChange submission.
You’re a blog writer now…congrats!

That’s it! you’re all done.

Thank you! Hero points coming right up…check your sidebar!

We’ll get in touch with you if we use your content on our blog (e.g. to confirm the URL we’ll be linking to) and to discuss things further if we have any questions.

WPMU DEV - Blog XChange section with content added.
Hero points and links…thank you WPMU DEV!

To XChange is to Grow

As web developers and WordPress service providers, you know the challenges that you and your clients face every day. Better still, you know how good it feels to solve these challenges and come up with better, faster, more efficient ways to get things done.

By sharing your knowledge and experiences with us, you’ll be helping us write the exact content you’d like to see on our blog, helping other members, and helping yourself too!

As Winston Churchill famously never stated…

“To improve is to XChange; to be perfect is to XChange often.”

We look forward to seeing your contributions and to working more closely with you to benefit our valued members and help improve your businesses.

See you at the Blog XChange!